Floor-scrubbing machine



May 1927 I w. s. FI NNELL FLOOR SCRUBBING MACHINE Filed ma 11, 1923 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 UTITTM Tax/rainy Z zZ/wss: wateraJfZZ/uwd,

a May 17 1927. 1,628,770

W. S. FINNELL FLOOR SCRUBBING MACHINE Filed May 11, 1923 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 i umi W. S. FINNELL FLOOR SCRUBBING MACHINE May 17, 1927.

Filed May 11. .1923 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 17 192 May 7 w. s. FINNELL FLOOR SCRUBBING MACHINE Filed May 11,.1923 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 llflfllllll ill!!! Rawvtor Waite/J. Jim/2216, (5. F W

Patented May '17, 1927.

UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER S. FINNELL, OF HANNIBAL, MISSOURI. ASSIGNOB- TO AMERICAN SCIBUBBING' EQUIPMENT COMPANY, OF HANNIBAL, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

FLOOR-SCRUBIBlING MACHINE.

Application filed May 11,

My invention relates more particularly to that type of machine which employs a ring of brushes bearing down upon the surface under treatment and rotated over the same as the machine is propelled along it.

The, principal object of the invention is to provide for more effectively and economically supplying water and detergent to the brushes. In prior constructions where the supply has been delivered at the outer side 0 the brushes, a considerable portion of it has been thrown outwardly away from the brushes without contributing at all to the scrubbing operation. By my present invention I make provision for delivery of water and detergent within the circle of the brushes, and for distribution of the same atthe inner side of the brushes. I utilize rotation of the brushcarrying structure,

under power, to accomplish my purpose through centrifugal action. Other objects are to facilitate regulation of the supply of water and detergent, and to facilitate assembling and disassembling of the various units that go to make up the complete machine.

In the drawings Fig. 1 shows the completely assembled machine in front elevation; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same;

Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section on a larger scale; Fig. 4 is a plan view with the water tank olf Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional plan view taken substantially on line 55 of Fig. 3; Figs. 6 and 7 are detail ver- 5 tical sectional views taken substantially on the lines 6-6 and 7-7 of Fig. 5; Fig. 8 is a vertical section taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 4; Fig. 9 is a detail perspective of a sliding valve piece; Figs. 10 and 11 are perspective views of a drivin disc and a portion of the rotating brush-carrying structure, respectively; Fig. 12 is a cross-section taken substantially on the line 1212 of Fig. 4;. Fig. 13 is another cross-section taken substantially on the line 13-43 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 14 is a detail sectional view taken substantially on the line 14 -14: of Fig. 13.

The machine has a substantial base framework made up principally of an le bars 2 and mounted on rear wheels 3 wlth a pilot wheel 4: at the front in the center of the brush ring structure. The latter comprises 1923. Serial No. 638,166.

a spider 5 from which the brushes 6 are suspended so as to yieldingly bear upon the floor, and a central annulus connected to the spider by arms 7. The annular row of braces 6 may be referred to generally as a brush ring. The annulus is of special formation to carry out the principal object of the invention. It has an upper ring 8, a relatively narrow encircling ledge 9 at the base thereof, a lower ring 10, and a relatively wide encircling ledge 11 sloping outwardly from the base of this lower ring. Between this inner annulus and the inner portion of the br'ush-carryingspider there is mounted a deflector 12 in the form of a flaring apron which encircles the annulus. The deflector is supported by the radial arms 7. being slotted as at 12 (Fig. 12) soas to straddle said arms.

A water nozzle 13, Figs. 3, 5 and 7, is located immediately above the ledge 9, ex-

tending over the same and being directed toward the outer wall of the ring 8. The nozzle is set tangentially so as to avoid splashing of the water when it strikes against the wall. The whole brush structure is driven from an electric motor 14, and water delivered from the nozzle against said wall and over the ledge 9 will flow outwardly over the edge of the latter and'as a result of the rotation of the annulus will be carried along and subjected to centrifugal force so that it will pass off the edge of the ledge in a spreading sheet.

A spout 15 through which the detergent in powdered form is delivered opens slightly above and outwardly. beyond the ledge 9, as best shown in Figs. 3 and (i, and within the circle of the deflector 12. The spout is located a short distance rearward of the water nozzle, and the sheet of water thrown off the ledge 9 will intercept the powdered detergent falling from the spout 15, saturate it and throw it outwardly against the deflector 12, down which it will flow along with the water to the inner sides of the brushes 6.

- Water and detergent not thrown against the deflector will fall upon the wide lower ledge 11 and be thrown ofi' so as to join the stream flowing to the inner sides of the brushes.

It will be seen that by the above described arrangement water and detergent will be most effectively delivered to the brushes, in that there is direct and continuing flow Within the circle of the brushes and delivery at the inner sides of the latter with a constant tendency to flow under the same which, combined with the action of the brushes themselves, insures utilization of the full supply as the scrubbing o eration proceeds.

A small branch nozzle 1 7 (Figs. 3 and 7) depends from the main water nozzle 13. the end of this branch nozzle being directed toward the ring 10. The purpose of this is to wash out any detergent or foreign matter that may happen to. lodge against the ring or in the angle where the lower ledge 11 springs from this ring 10.

The water nozzle 13 is at the end of a vertical pipe 18 (Fig. 13) having a valve 19 in its upper portion. The stem 20 of this valve is separately jointed toa. shaft 21. crank arm 22 on this shaft is connected by a rod 23 to a bell crank lever 24, (Fig. 1) on a frame bracket 25. The bell crank is connected by a rod 26 with a hand lever 27 pivoted to one of the handles 28 by which the machine is propelled over the floor. This handle is fast at its lower end to the base frame 2 and at the middle point to the bracket 25, the latter being secured at its lower end to the base frame. By Working the handle 27 the valve in the water pipe may be opened and set at varying positions to regulate the amount of water delivered at the nozzle.

There is an upper "frame structure or platform of angle bars 28 on which a water tank 29 is separably mounted. An upper open and flaring end of the water pipe 18 (Fig. 3) extends through a cross bar 30 of this upper frame, being clamped thereto by nuts 31. Through the outlet opening in a depressed portion of the bottom of the tank 29 there extends which is tapered at its lower end to fit in the daring mouth of the pipe 18. The bushing is clamped to the tank by a nut 33, and a gasket or washer 34 is applied for the purpose of effecting a water-tight coupling between the tank and the delivery pipe. The tank is clamped down on the platform by thumb nuts 35 applied to bolts 36 on the foot of the tank.

. The valve-operating shaft 21 takes a bearing in a down-turned portion 30 of the cross-bar 30 (Fig. 13) and there issecured upon the shaft a notched disc 39. A resilient strip 40 is secured to the cross-bar and has a doubled-up end-portion engaging the notched disc 39 and serving as a detent to hold the water-valve at whatever position it is set.

In the middle of the water tank there is a compartment 41 for containing a supply of'detergent in powdered form. In the bottom of this compartment there is an outlet a flanged bushing 32' hole 42 in line with the inclined spout 15 before mentioned. which conducts the powdered detergent to the point of discharge hereinbefore identified. The spout is secured in a boss formed on a plate -43 (Fig. 8) from the under side of which depend bolts 44 extending loosely through a fixed plate 45 and surrounded by springs 46. The latter yicldingly sustain the spmit-holding plate so that when the tank structure is put in place there will be a tight joint where the powder parses from the outlet opening 42 into the spout. The plate 43 is flanged and receives a slide valve 47 having an opening 48 to register with the outlet opening 42 and the spout. A. down-turned end 49 of the valve slide has an operating rod 50 coupled to it. This rod is worked by connections duplicating those by which the water valve operating rod 23 is worked. These connections comprise a bell crank lever 51 (Fig. 4) pivoted upon a bracket 52, and a vertical rod 53 coupled to a hand lever mounted upon the right-hand one of the two handles by which the machine is propelled. The slide valve 17 has a series of notches 54; formed in its under side and there is a springstrip 55 fastened to the under side of the spout-holding plate 43, which strip has an upturned end to engage. the said notches. By working the hand lever the valve 47 can be set and will he held at the desired adjustment by the engagement of the detent 55 with one of said notches, so that the flow of the powdered detergent will be properly regulated.

The fixed plate 45. above which the spout holder is mounted, is sustained by posts 57 (Fig. which rise from a lower plate 53 extending between the side bars of the bare frame 2 and secured thereto. A vertical shaft 59 has bearings in these two plates and a squared end of this shaft projects above the upper plate. A stirrer wire 60 in the lower part of the can or compartment 41 is suspended from a bracket 61 which is fastened to a shaft 62 rotated from the shaft 59. This shaft 62 takes a hearing at its upper end in a bracket 63 secured to the wall of the can, and has a squared lower end engaging a flanged coupling collar (H- occupying a bearing in the bottom of the can and formed to separably engage the squared projecting end of the shaft 59. The latter carries a pulley 65 onits lower end and a band 66 connects this pulley with a pulley 67 which rotates with the brush structure. This pulley is integral with a worm wheel 68 engaged by a worm 69 Fig. 12) on the armature shaft 70 of the electric motor 14. The pulley and worm wheel surround a bushing 71 which in turn surrounds the spindle 72 of the pilot wheel 4-. as shown in Fig. 12, the bushing being supported by a casing 73 mounted upon the base frame 2. The bottom plate 74 of the casing carries a ball bearing disc'75 under the worm'wheel. Y

A horizontal disc 76 bolted to the pulley 67 is formed with a circular series of driving clips 77, as best shown in Fig. 10, these being struck out of the disc and bent laterally and slightly bowed. The upper ring 8 of the water and powder distributing annulusis formed just.below its top edge with a series of inwardly projecting lugs 79, as best shown in Fig. 11. They are spaced apart to correspond with the s aeing apart of the driving clips 77. The 0 ject of this construction is to rovide' for readily removing and replacing the brush structure while at the same time insuring its effective interlocking with the driving mechanism. Thus, with the machinetilted back, the brush structure can be placed up against the driving disc so that the rim of the ring 8 encircles said disc, the lugs 79 occupying the spaces between the clips 77. Then, while holding the brush structure up, it can be turned in a direction to force the lugs 79 into the jaws formed by the clips. The bowing of the clips makes provision for a frictional enga ement and the turning movement by which this interlocking is'brought about is opposite to the direction in whichv the disc is driven from themotor, so that in operation the tendency will be to keep the parts interlocked. \Vhenever occasion arises to take ofi the brush structure that can be readily accomplished b tilting back the machine and turningthe w ole structure so as to disengage the lugs 79 .from the clips 77.

A skirt 80 extends around the brush structure bein suspended from a curved angle bar 81 w ich is bolted at its rear ends to the base frame 2 and supported at its for ward portion by a frame cross-bar 83. The latter carries buffer wheels 84, and a buffer strip 85 covers the edge of the bar 81. The brush structure and other parts at the front of the machine are further closed in by a cap piece 87 which rests down upon the buffer strip 85 and has side walls which slide over the framework so that when the water tank is in place a neat exterior is presented.

The tank structure hasa compartment 90 at the front for an incandescent head lamp 91, and a hopper 92 with a removable screen 93 throu h which the water supply is poured. here is a hingedcover 94vfor the powder can and a chute 95 suspended from this cover, as shown in Fig. 3 and adapted, when the cover is thrown back, to lie against the same so as to receive the supply of pow der and guide it into the can so that it will not be spilt. r

Horizontal bars 96 (Fig. 2) extending between the handles 28 and an-"upright-yoke 97 support bearings for conductor reel 98 electrically connected with a switch box 99 from which a cable 100 runs tothe motor. A braced standard 101 arising from the yoke carries a guide and sheaves for the conductor cord.

I claim:

1. In a floor scrubbing machine, the combination of. a horizontal rotary brush ring, means for driving the same, means for delivering water interiorly of the brush ring, with provisions for distributing the water centrifugally to the brushes, and means for delivering a detergent in powdered form in the path of the centrifugally discharged water.

2. In a floor scrubbing machine, the combination of a horizontal :rotaly structure comprising an outer brush ring and an inner part with an annular led e; and a water nozzle'discharge above said ledge.

In a floor scrubbing machine the combination of a horizontal rotaryv structure comprising an outer brush ring and an inner part with an annular led e; a water nozzle discharging above said is ge, and a deflector extending from a point opposite the ledge to a point adjacent the inner side of the brush 1mg.

4. In a floor scrubbing machine the combination of a horizontal rotary structure comprising an outer brush ring and an inner part with an annular led e; a water nozzle discharging above said le ge, a deflector extending from a point opposite the ledge to a point adjacent the inner side of the brush ring, and a delivery spout for detergent in powdered form discharging between the ledge and the deflector.

5. In a floor scrubbing machine the combination of a horizontal rotary structure comprising an outer brush ring and an inner part with upper and lower annular ledges; a water nozzle discharging above the upper ledge, a deflector extending from a point opposite theupper ledge to a'point adjacent the inner side of the brush ring, and a deliver spout for detergent in powdered form ischarging outwardly of the upper ledge and over the lower ledge.

6. In a floor scrubbing machine the combination of a horizontal rotary structure comprising an outer brush ring and an inner part with upper and lower annular ledges; a water nozzle discharging above the v upper ledge, a deflector extending from a point opposite the upper ledge to a point adjacent the inner side of the brush ring, a delivery spout for detergent in powdered form discharging outwardly of the upper ledge and over the lower ledge and a branch water nozzle discharging above the lower ledge.

7. In afloor scrubbing machine the combination of a horizontal rotary structure comprising an outer brush ring and an inner part with upper and lower annular ledges; a

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water nozzle discharging above the upper ledge; a delivery spout for detergent in powdered form discharging outwardly of the upper ledge and over the lower ledge, and a deflector extending from a point oppo ite the upper ledge and outwardly beyond the said spout to a point below the lower ledge and adjacent-the inner side of the brush ring,

8. in a floor scrubbing machine, the combination of a horizontal rotary structure comprising an outer brush riug'and an inner annulus having an upper vertical wall and a relatively narrow ledge at the base thereof and a lower vertical wall with a relatively wide and sloping ledge at its base; a water nozzle above the narrow ledge and directed toward the upper vertical wall: and a detergent spout directed downwardly above and outwardly of the narrow ledge and toward the lower ledge.

9. In a floor scrubbing machine, the combination of a horizontal rotary rtl'llCtlll'Q comprising an outer bra h ring and an inner annulus having an upper \ci'tlcul wall and a relatively narrow ledge at the base thereof and a lower cortical wall with a relatively wide and sloping ledge at its base; a water nozzle above the narrowledge and directed toward the upper vertical wall; a detergent spout directed downwardly above and out;- wardly of the narrow ledge and toward the lower ledge, and a flaring deflector surrounding the said annulus, spaced from the ledges and extending adjacent the inner side of the brush ring.

10. In a iioor scrubbing machine, the combination of a horizontal rotary structure meagre comprising an outer bru h ring and an inner annulus having an upper vertical wall and a relatively narrow ledge at the base thereof and a lower vertical wall with a relatively wide and sloping ledge at its base; a water nozzle above the narrow ledge and directed toward the upper vertical wall; a detergent spout directed downwardly above and outwardly of the narrow ledge and toward the lower ledge and a branch water nozzle extending below the upper ledge and directed toward the lower vertical wall.

11. In a floor scrubbing machine. the combination of a horizontal rotary unit including an outer brush ring structure, a centrally disposed fluid distributing eleinent circumscribed by and laterally spaced from said brush ring "tructure, deflecting means in the space between said brush ring structure and element, and a fluid distributing nozzle ,locatcd interiorly of said brush rin structure and discharging tangentially in t e path of said element.

1:2. In a floor crubbing machine, the combiiiation of a horizontal rotary brush structure including an outerbriish ring and an inner thud distributing element rotatable with and surrounded by said brush ring for delivering a scrubbing fluid toward said brush ring; a fluid delivery nozzle located iiiteriorly of said brush ring and adapted to deliver scrubbing fluid in the path of said inner elenient;'and means for delivering a detergent in the path of the fluid as it passes from said element toward said brush ring.

\VALTER S. FINN ELL.

till 

